New Beginnings
by GallaudetLurker
Summary: Robbie goes to university. Pairing undecided. Rori? Rade? Rorade? Other? Read on!
1. New Beginnings

**A/N:** Hey my readers! It's been a while since my last update. The inspiration bug finally bit me, and I was able to complete this story in two days (or one and-a-half-day), so here's another one from me. Either this might be a one-shot or a multi-chapter story, we'll see. Hope you like.

Also, is it Rori? Rade? Rorade? Other? Read on to find out!

**Disclaimer:** _Victorious_ belongs to Dan Schneider.

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**Chapter One: New Beginnings**

_By GallaudetLurker_

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Robbie Shapiro feels nervousness course through him as his bespectacled eyes takes in the towering facade of California State University, Hollywood, ergo with several buildings of various designs and sizes that dot the large campus from what he can see, from the relative safety of his old Chrysler convertible.

Taking in a deep breath to calm himself, and licking his chapped lips, Robbie nods once to himself before grabbing his backpack and registration packet, and getting out of the car, his legs all but feeling like jello as he stands on the asphalt of the university's large parking lot.

He glances at the trunk, where several of his luggage and stuff are stored there. He'd have to move them into his dorm later, something that he isn't looking forward to. Normally, he would live off-campus and live with his parents, but they forced them to live on-campus under the not-so-subtle threat of expulsion from home. It doesn't help that the university had a series of rules requiring freshmen to live on-campus for the first year.

As he hitches his backpack onto his shoulders, Robbie finds himself wishing he has brought Rex along. The wooden puppet that he has christened a best friend, however his tendency to mock and harass and taunt him, would make for a comforting presence.

But, Robbie thinks to himself as he takes his first tentative steps toward the monster of a university building that is waiting to consume him, he has left Rex home for a reason. After what seemed like an eternity, and after much effort, Robbie has come to a realization that he doesn't need to use Rex as a clutch in life.

In a way, Rex has become something of an albatross that has severely hindered Robbie in elementary, middle, and high schools, especially when it comes to having a social life. Robbie needs to make a clean break from his old life, to change himself hopefully for the better.

That doesn't mean he would cut Rex off completely, of course. Robbie would continue to spend time with Rex whenever he's not at university.

As he nears the school, Robbie feels his hands begin to tremble, his legs definitely turning into jelly, and his stomach twisting and churning in his guts. His throat constricts ever-so slightly as his mouth turns dry.

It's all so new to him, he doesn't know what to expect. And that's what makes him feel even more nervous. Robbie does his best to contain his ever-growing sense of trepidation as he crosses over from the parking lot into the university's wide campus, his sneakers peddling on the concrete pavement abutting freshly-mowed grass.

At least a dozen of students, men and women of varying ages, sizes, and looks, who are completely and utter unfamiliar to him, are going about their businesses on the campus. Robbie wonders of whether they are new to the school, like him, or seasoned students who has spent at least a year, or more, in the school. But he has no idea.

It takes a while for Robbie to successfully locate the correct building that he is supposed to go for the general registration part of the freshman orientation process that he is required to attend before he can attend classes.

He takes another breath for the umpteenth time in yet another futile attempt to soothe his quivering nerves, as his feet take him seemingly against his will toward a large building that looks like an gymnasium-it is one, if the sign 'Wood Field House' is any indication.

As he passed through the open doors into the gymnasium, Robbie's mind frantically whirls around one thought-scratch that, two thoughts: how was he going to do all this, and what was he getting himself into?

A glance at the slightly-crumpled registration packet in his twitchy hands reminds him once again: he was to create his class schedule for his first semester and to register for courses in that aforementioned schedule, among many others that included touring the dorm that he was to reside in for the first year.

The gymnasium is crowded with what Robbie assumes are freshmen students just like him. So these people that he has seen earlier are not new to the school, Robbie faintly muses to himself as he gets into line.

"Hi! Are you new here?"

Robbie nearly drops his registration packet as he jolts from the feminine voice that has suddenly manifested out of nowhere. He turns his head to face the source of the voice - and feels like he has died and gone to Heaven right there and then.

Standing in front of him is one of the most beautiful girls he has ever seen in his short life. At the risk of sounding like one of these tired cliches he has read in stories and seen in movies, the girl is, to put it, simply gorgeous. Her wavy light-brown hair cascades down her high-cheeked face, accentuating it perfectly, down to her shoulders and stops somewhere in her chest area. Her warm chocolate eyes gazes up at his brown orbs, making him feel tingly all over for some reason. She is wearing a pair of jeans and a pink blouse that not only showcases her smooth tan skin, but also emphasizes her cleavage a bit.

Midst his blush, Robbie struggles to move his paralyzed tongue to properly form words, his mind befuddled not only at the fact that the petite Latina girl was mind-blowingly beautiful, but that she has even said 'Hi' to him, something that no girl up to that point of his life has come close to even pretend to do that.

"Uh...um...uh..." Robbie stutters and stammers, inwardly cursing himself for his deep-rooted inability to talk to beautiful girls. "Um...uh...H-hi...y-yeah I'm new..." He manages to make the last part out in a mumble.

Great. The first time a girl, and a gorgeous one at that, says 'Hi' to him for the first time, and he has already screwed up his chances with her by getting all tongue-tied like that. Why couldn't he be smooth with girls like these jocks at his old high school used to be-

To his surprise, the girl giggles.

"My name is Tori Vega, and I'm a junior here. It's nice to meet you." She says with a grin as she sticks her hand out for a friendly handshake.

"Uh...my name is...um...Robbie Shapiro." Robbie manages to force these words out of his mouth, his heart still beating nervously. "I-it's nice to meet with y-you too..." He reaches out, hesitatingly, to take Tori's hand.

What surprises him is that as soon his hand makes contact with hers, he feels a jolt of electricity shoot up his arm, leaving behind a small tingling feeling. Robbie feels like he could faint right there and then.

Without missing a beat, Tori continues on: "I've volunteered to help out new students. You look lost here, so I figured out that I could help you out with the registration process. Would you like that?" Here's that heart-warming smile again. Like Robbie's ever going to say no to that.

He nods, mustering a small nervous smile. "Y-yeah...I'd like that." At this, Robbie realizes that this is the longest conversation that he have had with a girl so far in his life. There's a first time in everything, he surmises.

Tori smiles once again before she takes the registration packet from him and grabs his wrist. "C'mon, let's go over there." She says as she guides Robbie through the crowd to one of the few vacant tables set up near the front of the gymnasium. Robbie doesn't object to this, not at all.

At the table, Tori helps him plan out his class schedules for the semester, inputting the required courses that he would have to take in his first year. Robbie is still befuddled how nice and generous this girl has been to him so far. Out of the hundreds of freshman students around him, she had chosen to help him out. Him, when she could've helped that pimply-faced boy next to him or anyone else.

Before Robbie could delve into his thoughts any further, Tori opens her mouth. "What are you going to Major in, out of curiosity?"

"Uh..." Robbie has absolutely no idea of what he's going to Major in. Is he required to declare his Major right there and then? But he don't even know what Majors they offer here, or even if they would be right for him! Robbie finds himself begin to hyperventilate.

As if sensing his thoughts, Tori speaks, "You don't have to declare a Major this year, so don't worry about it. You're supposed to do that in your sophomore or junior year, at the latest, so you have plenty of time." She gives a reassuring smile. "I was only curious, that's all."

Robbie nods mutely as he feels himself begin to calm down, feeling a bit foolish for panicking like that.

"Oh." He says simply. A curious thought hits him. "Um...what do you Major in?" He inquires.

"I'm a Theater and Performance Studies major." Tori replies with a smile. "I absolutely love to perform, I've always loved it ever since I was little. If you like theater, you should give it a try sometimes, and if you find that you're in that, you could Major in that. Just saying, but if you do decide to do that, we'll see a lot more of each other in the future." Robbie could see that Tori is blabbing a bit, and he finds it adorable when she blushes a bit upon realizing that.

"Sorry...I tend to do that sometimes." She says with an embarrassed smile. Robbie finds himself begin to smile.

"It's okay." He says.

Silence descends upon the two of them for a while as Tori helps him to finish the rest of the paperwork. However, Robbie doesn't help but find his eyes drifting down to her..._chest area_ as an unsuspecting Tori has her head down to the papers in front of her. He finds his cheeks begin to grow warm as he soaks up the space created by the convergence of the two soft mounds that are encased within the blouse, and in extension her black bra as indicated by the straps he could see beneath the said blouse.

As he continues to look on, Robbie finds to his embarrassment and discomfort that something is stirring in his lower groin, beginning to lengthen and harden within the confines of his jeans.

"Wow! You got one of the highest scores in the entrance exams!" Robbie snaps back to reality at Tori's abrupt exclamation, diverting his eyes just in time as she looks up at him, a slightly amazed expression on her face. Robbie feels his blush begin to intensify as he chuckles nervously. "Really...?"

"Yeah! In fact, you got in the top ten! Not a lot of students here can achieve that, not even the seniors. Congrats." Tori says with a grin, a tone of admiration in her voice. Mentally willing the swelling within his jeans to dissipate, with some success, Robbie goes with a "Thanks, I guess...", feeling a bit heartened from the kind words coming from such a kind girl.

Tori beams before she goes back to the papers, giving them a final scan before nodding. "The papers are all done, you shouldn't have any problems." She says as she straightens the papers out before putting them in the packet. "But if you do have any, let me know, okay?"

"Okay." Robbie nods.

"All right, I'm going to give the packet here to that guy over here." Tori gestures to one of the guys working at a computer at one of the tables in front of the crowds of students. "You will get your class schedule and your ID card." She gestures for him to follow her to the guy that Tori has indicated earlier.

"Hey Tori, who's the newcomer?" The guy, in his late twenties or early thirties, says as he looks up at the two of them.

"Hi Danny, this is Robbie. He's starting his first year here." Tori says as she gives the package to Jerry.

"Cool." Danny grins as he takes the package and begins to check it over. "You'll like it here, kid. Names's Danny, nice to meet ya." He doesn't shake Robbie's hand, but Robbie is nevertheless surprised by the friendliness of the guy of whose kind would've stuffed him in lockers or pantsed him or subjected him to a swirly in the restrooms had he been at his high school.

"Likewise." Robbie says simply. Danny punches in a few keys and several moments later, he gives Robbie a ID card and schedule. "Welcome to California State University, Hollywood, or the Wood as we call it." He says with a smirk. Tori rolls her eyes as she leads Robbie away from Danny's table.

Robbie's eyebrows furrows in confusion. "The Wood?"

"It's just a play on the school's name." Tori says with a roll of the eye. "It's quite popular around the school, though I personally don't like it. But anyways, it seems you're now all set and ready for classes."

"Y-yeah, I suppose so." Robbie says. "Um, thanks for the help and all that."

Tori smiles. "Anytime, Robbie. If you need any help or just want to hang out, let me know. Oh, and before I forget..." She says as she gets out a pen and a small sticky note and scribbles something on it.

"I don't normally do this, but here's my phone number." Tori says as she gives him the note containing her name and phone number.

Robbie is overcome with surprise and disbelief, his heartbeat accelerating a bit, and his stomach churning, as he holds the note in his hands. Not only has a beautiful girl, a species that had long been foreign - and even hostile - to him, properly introduced herself, but she had actually bothered to help him out with the registration paperwork, even complementing him in the process. And to top it off, she had ever given him her phone number!

And all in the space of a single morning. Rex would be proud of him.

"Um...thanks." Robbie manages to speak out. "I'll keep hold of it, just in case I get lost around here or something."

Tori laughs, which is another first for Robbie. Although Robbie had a good sense of humor, many girls never laughed at his jokes. He has lost count of how many girls had given him a blank gaze before walking away or mocked him in a humiliating way.

"You're funny, Robbie. But yeah, it's a big place but you'll get used to it. I'd give you a tour, but I have to help another student." Tori says as she places a hand on his arm, sending a tingling sensation on the area where her hand makes contact. "But we'll see each other in the times ahead."

Robbie nods. Tori gives another smile.

"See you later, Robbie. It's nice to meet with you once again." With that, she disappears into the sea of students and Robbie finds himself alone.

His heart still beating in his chest, Robbie looks down at the note.

_'555-219-1993 _

_- Tori Vega'_

His lips curls up into a small smile as he begins to make his way out of the gymnasium. Perhaps his first year at university wouldn't be bad...

What he doesn't notice is a pair of glaring blue eyes that trails his departing back like a predator as he leaves.

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**A/N:** Hm, now that I think of it, I think I'll end this right there and then just to torture you. Or maybe not. Like I said, we'll see. Heh.

And yeah, I totally made up the university.


	2. Settling In

**A/N:** Here's Chapter Two, everyone. Hope you like. I would like to thank you for your reviews, I really appreciate it. :)

**Disclaimer:** _Victorious_ belongs to Dan Schneider.

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**Chapter Two: Settling In**

_By GallaudetLurker_

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It takes a while for Robbie to finally locate his residential dorm building among the buildings that dot around the university's vast campus. It is so unlike anything he has seen at Hollywood Arts - and he had thought it was pretty huge.

The dorm building, formally called the Schneider Dorm, is a large five-story building consisting almost entirely out of reddish-brown bricks. For some reason, it reminds him of an oversized fire department building.

As he nears the dorm, Robbie thinks about the 'journey' that he has had to make after he left the gymnasium. He has gone over to the university's Department of Public Security building to get his ID card 'activated' and to get a term validation sticker, even although it has - like this dorm - taken a while for him to locate it. Several passing students were somewhat helpful - that is, if you consider pointing or gesturing to some vague northerly location or outright ignoring you to be helpful.

Afterwards, he has trudged across the campus to the parking lot, where he retrieves his bags and equipment from the trunk of the car. It would take at least a couple of trips, and Robbie - as stated earlier - really is not looking forward to that. As he makes the grueling return journey, Robbie wonders why he hasn't gotten a physical map of the campus or even downloaded it from the university's official website prior to arriving at the school. And he has no idea where the university's computer lab is - yet.

The royal blue sticker on the ID card, with the year 2012 printed on it, shines under the sun as Robbie clumsily takes it out of his jeans to swipe it across the automated ID reader near the front double doors. After doing this, Robbie grunts as he heaves his bags - two large luggage bags containing his clothes and stuff that he needs along with his backpack - with him as he passes through the front doors, his limbs, non-existent muscles, and joints creaking and throbbing from fatigue and exhaustion. Robbie feels like he is about to collapse there and then.

The dorm doesn't look half-bad, Robbie thinks tiredly as he takes a look around. There are several assorted posters plastered around on the beige walls, and he could see a pair of elevators off in the distance.

He heaves out a breath as he makes his way to the front office.

Wow. Robbie feels like he is about to enter into a trance as his eyes locks into a sole person sitting at the desk in the office, the exhaustion that has been dogging his body temporarily fading away.

That man has..._awesome_ hair! The handsome young man sitting at the desk has an uncanny resemblance to Uncle Jesse from _Full House_, or at least what Jesse looked like before he cut his hair and became a family man. His dark brown hair flows down his olive-tanned face, and he is wearing a red-white button-up shirt over a white long-sleeved shirt. Though he has a somewhat slim figure, he radiates a calm, collected, and confident aura.

Though Robbie is completely straight, he thinks he is rapidly developing a man crush on the long-haired Adonis who is sitting in front of him.

The man looks up, and Robbie's breath hitches in his throat. The man's dark eyes peers deeply into his, and what surprises him is not only the intensity that feels like it penetrates directly to his soul, but the warm friendliness that radiates from them.

"Hey! Welcome to Schneider Dorm." The man says as he flashes a smile, revealing bright white teeth.

Gosh, his voice and smile is breath-taking. Robbie realizes that he is mentally gushing like an awe-struck girl in the presence of a famous actor, but he admits to himself that he would be acting like that if he was in actuality a girl (which he isn't, despite the rumors that plagued him in high school).

"I assume you're new here, right?" When Robbie mutely nods, the awe apparently sapping his ability to speak for the moment, the man continues: "That's cool, man. I'm Beck, nice to meet you."

"I-I'm Robbie...n-nice to meet you too." Here's that stammer again. The episode with Tori Vega from earlier is re-playing, only this time with Beck as the star. Beck raises his eyebrows as he gets out a folder from somewhere on his desk.

Beck reaches into the folder and pulls out a couple of papers, one smaller than the other. "I see you're nervous...I can understand how you feel. I was pretty nervous myself on my first day two years ago." He says with a reassuring smile that does wonders in alleviating Robbie's nervousness, although the reason for that nervousness was not what Beck had thought.

"Really...?" Robbie asks. Beck nods as he begins to scribble something into the smaller paper.

"Yeah, you could've seen me on that day, man. Made a complete fool out of myself, it wasn't pretty." Beck chuckles good-humoredly as he slides the paper across the desk toward Robbie. It is a dorm check-in/check-out form. "Sign your name and date here." Beck instructs as he hands his pen to Robbie, who takes it and scribbles his name and the date onto it. Robbie notes that he is to live in W-425, meaning his room is on the fourth floor in the west wing.

Beck gets up from the desk - he is wearing faded jeans - to a small locker on the wall behind him, and opens it. It is something of a key locker, as Robbie could see rows of identical golden keys hanging there. Beck retrieves a key and returns to the desk.

"Here's your key. Try not lose it-there's a $70 fee to replace that." Beck explains as he hands Robbie the key. Robbie's eyes widens slightly at this revelation.

"W-wow, $70?" Robbie finds himself grow a bit terrified at the thought of losing his key and having to fork over a staggering $70, which is not something he has with him or can readily get it.

He doesn't have his Bar Mitzvah money anymore.

Beck shrugs nonchalantly.

"Yeah, the replacement fees used to be much lower in the past. I guess many freshmen in the past few years lost their keys so often that the university had to take action or something. But hey, dont worry about it. It's actually harder to lose your keys than you think."

So you say, Robbie thinks.

"Oh! One more thing," Beck says as he gives the larger form to Robbie. "It's an inspection form. You have to go to your room and inspect it by placing a checkmark on these boxes, as you can see." He gestures to specific parts of the form, and Robbie nods his head in understanding. "Got it. Thanks Beck."

"You're welcome, man." Beck smiles and Robbie feels breathless once again. "Welcome to Schneider Dorm and the Wood! That's a nickname for the university, by the way."

Robbie nods his head, remembering Tori's explanation about that particular name earlier.

Grasping the inspection form and pen in one hand, Robbie grabs his bags and begins to walk out of the office when Beck's voice calls out to him.

"Oh, and before I forget, the elevators are broken. You'll have to use the stairs." Robbie groans to himself.

"Thanks..." He mumbles as he trudges to the stairwell.

As he stands on the fourth floor, Robbie feels like his heavily-pounding heart is going to leap out of his chest at any given time. Compared to the stair-trek up three levels, dragging his heavy luggage bags behind him the whole way, the journey from the parking lot to the dorm was a pleasantly relaxing stroll. If he doesn't get to his dorm and do what he is supposed to do, and soon, he is going to collapse right there and then and black out until the next morning.

Probably.

His chest heaving, Robbie manages to make his way to W-425. As he fumbles around for his key, Robbie wonders who would be roommating with him for the year, and who he or she (it was a coed dorm) would be. He hopes it wouldn't be a psycho or worse.

Fitting the key into the lock, and turning it, Robbie enters the darkened room and flips the light switch. As his eyes adjust to the lighted room, Robbie notes that it is completely deserted - his roommate hasn't arrived yet.

The room, though a bit on the small side, is plainly furnished. There are two beds (mattresses placed atop a metal bed frame) placed on opposite sides of the room, each accompanied with a night stand. A large desk is placed next to the bed, and there are two closets, one for him and one for his roommate. A large window outfitted with plastic shutters overlooks the room.

It looks okay, Robbie thinks to himself. Not the best, but not the worst either. He places his bags near the desk and plops down on the mattress, feeling exhaustion sweep over him. The mattress is a bit firm, but Robbie doesn't mind it one bit.

Robbie heaves out a sigh as he looks at the ceiling for a moment. He feels his eyelids grow heavy and is overcome with temptation to simply doze off...

He gets up from the mattress, shaking his head. There was only one thing he had to do.

Grabbing the inspection paper and pen, Robbie proceeds to perform an inspection around his room, making check marks (A for 'acceptable', D for 'damaged', and NA for 'not available') in all the appropriate checkboxes on aspects such as his bed, his closet, nightstand, sockets, etc. It takes a few moments before Robbie is finished, deeming the results to be satisfactory.

Making his way down to the first floor (he'd traversed up and down the stairs twice and already he hates it), Robbie goes back to Beck's office.

There is another person in there this time, sitting on one of the chairs near Beck's desk. A girl, to be exact. The conversation between Beck and the girl fades into silence as the girl looks away from Beck to him, and Robbie finds himself breathless for the third time today.

She is _stunningly_ beautiful. Her raven hair falls past her shoulders in soft waves, tipped with jade-green ends, resting right above her chest. Her slightly-tanned skin is flawless, and her blue eyes peers into his dispassionately. She is dressed nearly all in black, from her black leather jacket down to her tight black jeans that reveals her shapely legs from what he could see where he was standing, topped with black boots. In short, this girl could easily rival the beautiful Tori in sheer beauty.

However, what sets this girl apart from the welcoming Tori is, well, her icy exterior. Whereas Tori's chocolate-brown eyes had made him feel warm and tingly all over - similar to the sensation that one gets when one sips hot chocolate - the raven-haired girl's blue eyes makes him feel like he is freezing, like if a pitcher of ice-cold water was being poured all over him. Whereas Tori's smile was infectiously happy, this girl was joyless, her unsmiling face sending a chill through his soul. He could see a flicker of annoyance flare up in her eyes before she refocuses her attention on Beck.

Swallowing as nervousness washes over him, Robbie walks over to the desk, where he hands Beck the inspection papers. "Um...h-here you go...I finished the i-inspection." He stammers slightly as he could, for some reason, feel the girl's glare on his back.

Beck gives him an easy smile. "Great, I guess you're all settled in." He says as he scans the paper before filing the paper away. "Oh, and I want you to meet someone. Jade, meet Robbie...what's your last name?" Beck begins to introduce before he realizes something.

"S-Shapiro." Robbie replies.

"Jade, meet Robbie Shapiro. It's his first year here." Beck repeats as he gestures between Robbie and the girl named Jade. "Robbie, meet Jade West."

Robbie musters up a nervous smile as he turns to Jade, his stomach churning and twisting like it has done a few hours earlier. "H-hello." Robbie manages to make out, aware that it is his first word to the mysterious raven-haired girl who looks like she wants to do anything other than talk to him right now.

Jade gives him a blank look that doesn't alleviate the sense of nervousness and discomfort that surges through him. "Jade, say Hi." Beck admonishes.

Jade rolls her eyes. "Hi." She says simply, her tone sounding forced. Despite marveling at how beautiful she sounds, Robbie now gets this feeling that she doesn't like him for some reason.

But why? He wonders to himself. He hasn't done anything to her!

"Well, we're now acquainted with each other." Beck states with a smile. Robbie wonders how Beck can be so...easygoing, especially around a girl who apparently has the power to freeze anyone - him especially - solid with her eyes alone. "Robbie, you can take a seat if you want."

Robbie gulps. The chair near Jade has never looked so unwelcoming before, and Robbie isn't sure if he would want to stay here, right next to a girl who, despite her intimidating beauty, now intimidated him.

"Um...t-thank you but I-I have to unpack my...my stuff. G-get ready for school tomorrow, y'know..." Robbie stammers as he tries to maintain a smile on his face. "...but thanks, Beck...we could hang out s-sometimes-um, I'm gonna go now. See you around."

He barely hears Beck's slightly-disappointed "Ok, see you around, man" as he hastily leaves the office, all but hightailing it to the stairway, mentally berating himself for being the coward that he was.

Robbie's legs quivers like jelly once again as he goes up the three flights of stairs before reaching the fourth floor. His hands trembles slightly as he struggles to fit his key in the lock before succeeding after the first few times. As soon he's in the sanctuary of his room, Robbie heaves a relieved sigh as he leans against the door.

Why does he feel so intimidated by Jade? Robbie wonders to himself. He'd dealt with plenty of intimidating girls before, in high school. But why did he feel the way he felt while he was in the office? Was it because of her beauty? Was it because of the way she greeted him? Was it because she was a girl?

Robbie doesn't know.

Shaking his head, Robbie goes over to his luggage bags and unzips it. He gets out a pillow that he'd managed to stuff into the bag alongside his clothes before he inadvertently lets out a yawn, the tiredness finally weighing upon him.

He'd finish unpacking later, Robbie decides as he makes his way to the mattress. Kicking off his shoes, Robbie plops onto it, removes his glasses, and places his head onto the pillow.

Ironically, sleep doesn't come to Robbie as easily as he expects. His mind instead swirls around the events that has transpired so far today, from getting ready to drive to the university for the obligatory orientation process and getting all nervous about it, to arriving there and getting all nervous about it, to meeting Tori Vega and getting all nervous around her, to checking into the dorm and meeting Beck and getting all nervous about it, and finally to meeting Jade and getting all nervous about it.

That was quite a day he've had, Robbie thinks to himself. His eyelids finally starts to droop, ready to overtake him with the welcoming darkness of sleep...

His eyes snaps open as realization hits him, and he lets out a groan.

The university's President is scheduled to make a welcome speech at 11pm in the Grande Hall Auditorium, which is in half an hour. From what he has read, it is required for all freshmen to attend. Why must everything be mandatory, he wonders.

His body silently protests as Robbie reluctantly drags himself from the mattress and gets on his feet.

Might as well attend and get it out of the way. Robbie slips on his shoes once again and walks out of his dorm room.

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**A/N:** Hope you liked. Read and review!


	3. Getting Acquainted

**A/N:** Here's the third chapter, everybody! Thank y'all for the reviews! :)

Also, don't you hate it when you update the chapter, only to see a few errors that you apparently missed, even if you proofread it prior to that, and have to re-edit and then replace the chapter again? Yeah, that happens to me every time I post a story or update it, lol.

**Disclaimer:** _Victorious_ belongs to Dan Schneider.

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**Chapter Three: Getting Acquainted**

_By GallaudetLurker_

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Robbie goes down the stairs for what seems like the millionth time, and he wishes the elevator wasn't broken so he could ride down to the first floor in comforting relaxation. But alas, he doesn't get what he wants.

As he nears the front office, Robbie feels his guts begin to clench in nervous trepidation as the recent memories of meeting Jade surfaces in his tired mind. He doesn't know why he feels, for some reason, some relief course through his veins when he gives a passing glance into the office and Jade isn't in there anymore. Beck, who is still behind the desk, gives him a friendly wave.

The journey to the Grande auditorium is a short one, and he is able to locate the place by following the crowds of students - which he assumes are freshmen along with the other sophomores, juniors, and seniors, but he isn't too sure - that converges upon a particular place that has a large sign 'Grande Hall Auditorium' right next to it.

The auditorium is pretty packed, and noisy. Hundreds of students, male and female, are sitting in rows of folding chair that are neatly arrayed next to each other. He could make out what seems to be faculty members - professors, probably - sitting in the first few rows in the front. On a large stage, at least a dozen of men and women dressed up in suits are sitting near a podium where the President is scheduled to make his appearance.

Smattering of conversations from all over the place converge to create a deafening sensation that seems to overwhelms his senses. Robbie feels a bit disorientated as noise pervades his ears from all directions. But despite so he, with some difficulty, manages to find a vacant chair and moves toward to sit on it...

...only to be beaten to it by a muscled frat boy, who shoves his way into the chair and gives him a mocking sneer.

Robbie sighs dejectedly as he resumes the search for the seemingly-elusive vacant chair in the increasingly-crowded place. As he scans over the crowd, his eyes catches something, or rather, a certain brown-haired girl in the distance. He finds himself begin to smile a little as his heart begins to beat a bit faster as the memories surfaces in his mind.

Tori Vega.

She doesn't see him, instead chatting away with friends next to her, but Robbie definitely sees her. So distracted is Robbie that he missteps and stumbles, but manages to maintain his footing. He feels his cheeks begin to grow warm with embarrassment as he hastily resumes the search.

Finally, Robbie sees his coveted prize, an empty chair next to the aisle. He manages to reach there before anyone does, and lets out a relieved sigh as he settles down on the chair, feeling a relaxing sensation come over him.

"HI!" Robbie jumps a mile up into the air.

As his heart beats at a million miles per hour, Robbie looks to his right - and the surprise and shock quickly fades away as he is taken in by the beauty of the girl sitting next to him. Her curly brown hair seems to shine as it cascades down her shoulders. She is wearing a bright sundress that comfortably hugs her curvy figure and stops mid-thigh. He feels like he is in a trance as he peers into her warm brown eyes, which is enhanced by her mascara, feeling himself start to grin back at her dimpled grin.

"H-Hi." Robbie manages to say as he starts to get strange, fluttery feelings in his groin.

"What is your name? I'm Cat!" The girl, now known as Cat, inquires.

There are some times in Robbie's life where he says - more like blurts out - the wrong things at the wrong time, and it has hurt Robbie's chances with a girl too many times in the past. This is one of these times.

"Cat...like a cat, right?" Robbie comments as a humorous thought hits him. At a blink of an eye, Cat's facial expression morphs from an excited and bubbly one to an offended one at a frightening speed.

"What's that _supposed_ to mean!" She yells, a flicker of anger in her eyes. Robbie stutters over his next words, feeling panic along with embarrassment course through him as he could see some people sitting around them look over at them.

"Um...uh...you see-I was saying-um, what I meant-um, I'm Robbie." He starts to get a sinking feeling in his chest, one that he has felt one too many times, as he thinks he has forever ruined his chances with this girl-

"Hi Robbie! Nice to meet you! I'm Cat!" Cat's expression instantly reverts to a bubbly one once again as she offers her hand. Robbie blinks in confusion.

Hasn't she already said her name? Robbie wonders to himself, but he chooses not to say that aloud, instead prompting to go with something else.

"N-Nice to meet you too, Cat." He says as he grasps her hand and gives it a shake. Cat's hand feels soft and warm, Robbie surmises, but there is no jolt like he has felt with Tori.

"Can you believe it? This is the first time I've been here! It's my first year here and I'm so excited!" Cat exclaims, and Robbie raises his eyebrows at the revelation. She's a freshman, like him.

"Really? It's my first time here too," Robbie smiles. "I registered my classes and just moved into my dorm."

"Oh my God, I did that too! It's like we're on the same wavelength!" Robbie has to admire the girl's positive and vibrant energy. "Which dorm do you live in?" Cat presses on as she turns slightly on her seat to face him.

"Schneider Dorm." Robbie replies. Cat gasps. "Really? I live there too! Which floor?"

"The fourth floor, on the west wing." Robbie replies.

"Oh. My. God." Cat enunciates each word, and this reminds Robbie of a female character named Janice on the TV show _Friends_. "I live there too, on the east wing! Wow, isn't that a coincidence? I guess we'll see a lot of each other." This time, the last part of Cat's words reminds Robbie of what Tori has told him earlier.

"I suppose so," Robbie says simply. At that instant, the air around him seems to drop in temperature. The hairs on the back of his neck begins to stand up as he feels a cold chill creep up his spine. His stomach inexplicably clenches as he begins to tense up.

At first, he is confused of why he is feeling like this, but once he turns his head to look over his shoulder, he understands why.

Jade West is walking down the aisle. Robbie instinctively gulps and moves to avert his gaze but he is far too late. His eyes locks into Jade's blue orbs for the second time today, and it brings back the same sensations that he has felt back in Beck's office - only this time, instead of being drenched by ice-cold water, he feels like he is plunged head-first into a pool of freezing water.

Like watching a train wreck and being unable to look away, however as much as he would like to, Robbie's gaze remains anchored to Jade's for a few more seconds as she passes by him. Once the ice spell has been broken, Robbie feels like he is trembling all over.

"That's Jade," Cat chirps in, apparently unaware of the sensations that Robbie is experiencing. "She helped me with the registration process today. She's very nice."

Robbie resists the urge to snort in disbelief but then he mentally shakes his head. He doesn't know Jade apart from her name, so he really can't say anything like that about her. But still...he couldn't help but get the vibe that she wasn't really nice, at least not to him, judging from the way she had looked - more like glared - and spoke to him so far.

"You ok? You look like something's bothering you." Cat looks concerned as she places her hand on Robbie's shoulder.

Robbie blinks with a jolt at both Cat's question and the warm sensation of her hand on his shoulder. He looks at her and shakes his head. "Oh, just r-remembered something...but, um, I'm ok. Thanks for asking, though."

"Oh, I feel that way sometimes," Cat states and Robbie furrows his eyebrows in confusion. "Sometimes I feel like I've dropped my keys or accidentally swallowed it or misplaced my phone or something, but then I remember I have them with me!" She says with a grin, her dimples prominent, as she removes her hand from his shoulder.

Robbie stares at Cat. Did she essentially say she..._swallowed_ a key on accident?

"Um..." He begins to say, but Cat continues on: "But my brother, he once accidentally dropped his key when he was on the fourth floor of the dorm he was living in. It fell to the first floor, so he jumped over the railing all the way down there to retrieve it."

Robbie's eyes widens in surprise and disbelief. "No way...seriously?"

Cat giggles. "Oh, don't worry! He's fine, he've had worse falls than that in the past, and he've come out fine. The resident advisor on duty chewed him out though...or so as he tells me."

"Oh my Gammit." Robbie mutters to himself.

Cat looks like she is about to continue on, but a new voice booms throughout the mostly-silent auditorium. Robbie could see a figure dressed up in a dark suit standing in front of the podium that has been vacant a few moments before. He is a tall but slightly pudgy figure with a bowl-like haircut.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen!" The man's voice reverberates once again, amplified by the loudspeakers that are placed throughout the auditorium. "Most of you already know me, but some of you do not. Let me introduce myself. My name is James Schneider, and I am the President of California State University, Hollywood. It is with the highest honor that I introduce the members of the Class of 2016, and warmly welcome back the Classes of 2013, 2014, and 2015 to our institution of higher learning, where all of you now begin a journey that would ultimately prepare you for success in the world!"

The speech lasts for approximately thirty minutes, but Robbie is impressed by the eloquence of the speech. In addition to elaborating about the great expectations placed on the university and its students, the President welcomes new faculty members - the men and women who are sitting near the podium - and discusses a wide array of fields that is taught at the University, from Information Technology to History to Engineering to Theater and Performance Studies. He expresses his great optimism about the future, even going as far as to discuss the evolution of technology and technological innovations from the 1500s to the present and its significance to the future.

"You are undertaking your journey in a time where access to information - which is one of the cornerstones that this University is built upon - is readily available, at the click of a mouse or at a press of a button or at a tap of a screen, and would profoundly empower you all in the time that is to come." The President would say, and this greatly resonates with Robbie. "I look forward to getting to know each and every of you, and I will strive to do my best, as humanly, possible to ensure that you all succeed in your studies, and to help you prepare for the future. Welcome to California State University, Hollywood!" With this, the President concludes his speech to thunderous applause.

As students begin to get up from their chairs, Cat places her hand on Robbie's arm. "Wow, that was a great speech!" She says breathlessly.

Robbie nods in agreement. "Yes, I agree. He makes you feel like you can do anything."

Cat giggles as she agrees.

Robbie gets up from his chair, stretching a bit. The tiredness from earlier still weighs upon him, but not as much as it had been before the speech. "Uh, um, what are you gonna do now?" He asks Cat as he goes into the aisle.

Cat trails after him. "Good question. Now that I've done everything that I'm supposed to do, I'm not sure what to do now." She thinks over it for a moment. "Maybe I might go to the cafeteria. OH! Maybe they have red velvet cakes there!"

"Red velvet cakes?"

Cat nods, her brown hair swaying with the motion. "Yes, I _love_ them. They're my favorite. Have you tried one?"

Robbie shakes his head. "No, I haven't tried one...in fact, I never had one before."

Cat gasps. "No way! You've got to try one. You should come to the cafe with me and try one if they have it there!"

It crosses Robbie's mind that this is the first time a girl - and a beautiful one at that - has insisted, of her own volition, that he come with her to someplace. On this particular day, Robbie has talked to more girls - three, if one counted Jade - than he had in a year.

Okay, maybe the last part is an exaggeration, but one gets the idea.

"S-sure, I guess..." Robbie says as he weaves his way through the crowd of students toward the exit. As he nears it, he feels a tap on his shoulder and turns his head to see who tapped him.

He finds himself looking into a pair of warm chocolate eyes, and his heart begins to lurch in his chest.

"Hi Robbie." Tori says with a smile.

* * *

**A/N:** So concludes Chapter Three. Hope you liked.

Yeah, Cat is a brunette in this one. That might change, though. Or not. ;)


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